Means for ventilating and expelling water from mines.



No. 893,988.. PATENTED TULY 21, 1908.

P. H. DURACK. MEANS FOR VENTILATING AND EXPELLING WATER FROM MINES.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.16,1907.

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witmeamo v v. calaw n 'attozmew PLH. DURACK. MEANS FOR VENTILATING AND BXPELLING WATER FROM MINES.

APPLICATION II LED OCT. 16,1907.

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uwn too PATRICK H. DuRncK, awe mama PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

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PATRICK H. DURAGK, OF EL PASO, TEXAS MEANS FOR vmvrina'rnve AND EXPELLINGWATER FROM MINES.

Application filed October 16, 1907. Serial No. 397,620.

, To all whom it may, concern:

Beit knownitha't I, PATRICK H. DURACK, a

citizen of the United States, and. a resident of water by pumps, the pumps are more or less in the way of the men when working sinking the shaft, and a break down in the pumping machinery, which is always liable to occur, is a seriousdisaster, as the water drives the men out, the work has to be shut down, and

the pumps down in the mine are submerged beneath from one l-iundred. to two hundredfeet of water. The result is that the mine has to heaban doned after thousands of dollars have been spent in trying to keep itdry.

My invention is designed to be applied to mines of the abovefnamed character and also to coal mines, heavy tunnels, and 111 fact all underground work where large bodies of water are encountered, and its purpose is to ventilate the mines with fresh itlIp'gClIlXG out all the foul air, dust and gases, kpep the mine clear ol explosive or dangerous substances which might collect in the same from time to time, and maintain the mine dry and clear of water: I I

'lo these ends my invention provides a system of ventilation and of expulsion of water by means of a circulating,body of fresh air, and. air looks so arranged asto permit the work to be progressively carried on Without interruption, allowing the mine to be developed and worked; with greatersafety than with vthe appliances, heretofore ,employed, olimiiilaling the danger of explosion from the foul air, gases or dust, and a'llording protection to the minor both by day. and night while lhc'work is carried on col'ltinuously without the delays incidmit to blasting, etc.

lnthc drawing Figure ].-is a vertical section taken through a mine provided with my improved air locks and system of ventilating pipes, valves, ctc. and Fig! 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged. scale taken through tho upper airlock at the surlaeo showlng the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21 i908 means for discharging the air or coal raised in the cage or car for delivery to the exterior of the air lock. r

Referring to Fig. 1, A is a sheet metal caisson placed in the mouth of the shaft, and B is the upper air lock placed on to of the caisson and bolted to the same. he air lock B is a perfectly'tight sheet metal casing fitted to the caisson Awith air ti ht joints which are carefully closed by-vil'iite lead cement. The caisson A is cemented all around outside in the mouth of the shaft so as to form a closed air chamber capable of containing the requisite air pressure in the.

mine. Beside the air lock B and commhni: eating with it through an opening I) is a subsidiary air chamber B through ,Which egress and ingress from the mine is obtained. The subsidiary'air chamber B is capable of being thrown into open communication with the chamber B through the opening I) or to have communication therewith cut oil' by am ing door I) having air ti ht joints about the edges of the opening ii. The subsidiary chamber B also has an external door 1) through which the miners may enter or emerge and this door isin like manner formed with air tight joints for a purpose to.

be hereafter described. An inlet valve a arranged between the chambers B and B is provided for the purpose of introducing the air pressure within the air lock'B into the chamber B for equalizing the pressure between the two and said subsidiary chamber B is also provided with an outlet valve 1) through which, when the door I) is closed, the air pressure within the chamber B may be discharged into the open air to establish equilibrium between the air within the sub sidiary chamber B and the outer air. The purpose ofthis arrangement is to enable the miners to be. gradually adjusted to the air pressure within the mine in entering the same and to be gradually adjusted to the atmospheric air in leaving the mine, and without material loss of air pressure from within the chamber B. For this purpose in entering the mine the door I) is tightly closed, and the door 1) is opened, the minors entering the chamber B and closing the door l)" behind them. They then open the valve e which allows the 1pressure within the chamber ll to gradua ly enter the subsidiary chamber B, After equilibrium is restored between the chambers B-and ll the door l) is opened and the minors then pass into the c of the outlet pipe 0, a flexible hose h with a air pressure of the chamber B and the door D being then closed they descend into the mine. In leaving the mine the door D of the subsidiary chamber being closed,- the doorD is opened and the miners from the cage enter the subsidiary chamber B and close the door 1) behind them. The valve a being now closed and the valve I) being opened, the air pressure withinthe chamber B eseapesgradually through the valve 6 until the chamber B assumes thesame conditions of atmospheric pressure as the outside air and the miners may then open the door Dand pass out. t

In the'top of the vair lock B is arranged a stuffing-box 0- through which passes .the hoisting cable I which is attached to and lifts the cage, which cable passes over a pulley C in the frame work above the airlock andis Wound llpl a suitable. drum 0 operated by an engine outside of the mine.

For the ventilation of the mine, two-sys tems of pipes 'are' employed;- The pipe I with-suitable valves i is extended to near the bottom of the mine and'also horizontally along the drifts or tunnels to the various headings. Thispipe I receives compressed air from a cooling chamber E outslde the mine into which the air is forced .from, the compressor operated by the engine E. vThe outlet pipe 0 extends also in a co-extensive way throu hout-the mine in the' vertical shaft and horizontal drifts to the. various headings and itspurpose is to receive the foul air, explosion: gases and water and raise and convey them to the exterior of the mine. These pipes with their branches 0 are provided withsuitable valves 0, 0 at the various levelsto control the flow through the said outlet pipe. Both the inlet air pipe I and outlet ipe'O extend u to the'upper'air lockB m dlemergev from the same through I the tightly closed walls. I

At thebottom of the mine and also at the various headingsofthe horizontal drifts are arranged seconda locks in the form of bulk-heads consistm of a door frame L arranged transverse y in the shaft and locks in place by suitable timbers embedded in the side walls of the same in connection with a door L hinged at one edge to the doorframe L" and fitting. in a rabbet or recess therein with an air tight joint and provided with ropes and ulleys L by means of which said door may Rue raised and opened, In each of these doors is an esca e valve 2 Whenever all the secondary 100 s or bulkheads L, L are closed, it will be seen that the fresh air entering through the inlet pi pcs I, I is delivereilinto the heading beyond the bulk-heads and. the foul air and gases are forcibly driven out through the outlet pipes O, O, and discharged Outside of the mine. At the bottom of the shaft at the lower end removed.

work continuously and independently place in the heading beyond this bulk headdoes not in an way interfere with the ings at the otlierheadings, or at the bottom of the mine since its gases are eonfin edla 0 by a proper manipulation of thevalves iii-the inlet and outlet pipes, foul air "and gases within the heading are forced out by the in coming fresh air untilall-of such" gases are The seconda lock or bulk-head L, L at the bottom of t e mine not only permits the above described operation'tov take place and the Water to be automatically removed as. fast as it accumulates, but it also extends o across the mine shaft above the miner atthebottom of the mine and thereby affords pro-g tection against the accidental falling of the; rocks, etc. so that he ma continuously per- 1"" form his work. It will also be seen that my 9} system of ventilation permits the miners rat; each one of the headings to perform their of the. operation of blasting-in other tunne s without in any way being inconvenienced there-11 1 0,

by or having their air contaminated by the i gases of the blasting. When the men are ready to blast the bulk head door is closed, thevalve in the discharge pipe is opened allowing the air to pass out 5 etween the heading and thesecondary-eir lock L, the feed valve being shut. After blastin the air is again turned in and drives the fou air and gases through the outlet pi e O. bulk head door L or L of the subsidiary lock is open and the men can at once return to their work. In the meantime the blasting does not disturb or in any we affect the men] Working in any other part 0 the mine. All a the pipes are to run about ten feet past the bulk-heads and must be in position to receive all foul air and to deliver fresh cold air to the men after blasting. As the work'at the headings progresses the bulk-headlocks 2 l L, L are to be moved from time to time to a closer position to the heading, the bulk-head lock being kept at about twenty-five feet from the heading in order that the men'need not have too far to go when blasting, More- .25 over, by having this look as close as possible" to the heading the amount of air lost when-- blasting is reduced to a minimum."

The general pressure throughout the whole mine 18 maintained at a suflioient point to 139 The discharge valve 0 is then shut, t'e 1 can be forced outand kept out for one-half the cost of'the pumping. If there is more than one main shaft, then in that case, if the shaft is to be worked I place an external lock B above the mouth of the same, which is operated in the same way, or if the second shaft be vacant and it connects with the mine, then. one of the bulk-head subsidiary air locks L, L is placed in'it with a blow o'll' valve init'so as to have a good circulation of. air. i

.VVhen working mines with my invention the air can also be used for working air drills. Electricity may also be employed to light the mine as the pressure will not affect it since it will not ordinarily be more than fifteen pounds to the square inch. Should it be desired to work the mine in the old way, that is, to do the blasting at nightand morning, in'this case, all that is required is the lock B B since all the drilling may be done in the day time and the blasting afterwards. in this way the pipes are all run down to the bottom of the shaft and the bulk-head is used in the bottom of the shaft simply because of the protection which it aliords the miners should they want to do any blasting through the day 'or between times without causingdelay v to the balance of the work.

All the inlet air pipes in the mines are furnished withfoot valves to prevent any back action that n ight occur to the air compressor.

lieferring to Fig. 2, I will describe how the ore, etc. raised by means of the cable F is discharged from the upper air lock. 'lhis air loch n'o'vided on one side with a sliding door B which opens communication into two hoppers and Ill. The hopper (his providedwith a sliding door G" having rack teeth engaging a gear wheel (1? on a shaft, by

turi'iingwhich the doorli may be raised to open'the outlet of the hopper G or be lowered to seal this hopper air tight. The lower ho per H is also provided'on the bottom site with an air tight hinged door 11 which when closed cuts oil the air lock B from the external air. if the ore is raised in the ordinary way bydirect lift of the cable F, it is discharged into the lower hopper H, but if the ore is raised. by means of t 1e skip car and inclined railway as shown in dotted lines, the ore isdischargedinto the upperho per G. If discharged into the lower be per 1, the door H is maintained closed am. the door B is "opened. After the ore has been discharged into the hopper H the door B is closed and the door lzl opened to discharge the ore from said hopper without material loss of air from scenes B is raised to its highest position. The ore is, then discharged into the hopper G. The )0 door B is then lowered and closed and the door G then raised to discharge the ore from said upper hopper which also prevents the escape of air from the upper airlock B.

I claim- 1. Means for ventilating and expelling water from mines, comprising an upper air loclr at the mouth of the mine provided with a" subsidiary entrance chamber, one or more secondary air locks. arran ed transversely in the mine shafts, an in at ipe extending throughout the shafts an -tunnels of the mine and provided with valves, an outlet pipe coextensive with the inlet air pipe and provided with valves, both of saidpipes being extended past the secondary air locks and into the headings.

2. Means for ventilating and expelling water from mines, comprising an upper air look at the mouth of the mine with means for ingross and. egress, one or more secondary air locks arranged transversely in the mine shafts, an inlet pipe extending throughout the shafts and tunnels of the mine and provided with valves, an outlet pipe co-extensive with the inlet air pipe and provided with valves, both of said pipes being extended past the secomlary air locks and into the headings, and a flexible hose attached to the outlet pipe and having a strainer on its end and extending down to the water level of the mine.

3'. Means for ventilating and expelling water from mines, comprising an upper airlock at the mouth of the mine with means for in gross. and egress, one or more secondary air locks arranged transversely in the mine shafts, an inlet pipe extending throughout thesl'ia'fts and tunnels of the mine and pro 'ter from mines, comprising an upper air lock at the mouth of the mine with means for ingress andegress, one or more secondary air locks arranged transversely in the mine shafts, an inlet pipe extending throughout the shafts and tunnels of the mine and provided with valves, an outlet pipe co-extensivc with the. inlet. air pin and provided with &

valves, both of said pi es being extended past the secondary air i ieadings, the. air look at the mouth of the mine being formed with a hopper closed on 5 all sides and provided with two doors, one

being arranged between the hopper and the air lock and the other betweenthe hopper and the outside air.

5. In ameans for ventilating and expelling 10 water from mines, the combination with a system of air inlet and dischargepipes exoaks and into the tending through the mineand provided with valves, of an external air look arranged at the mouth of the mine and having said pipes extending through the stuffing box arranged in the topofsaid air lock and a hoisting cable passing through said stufiing box.

PATRICK H. DURACK. -Witnesses JOSEPH M. NEALON, W. O. DAvIs.

side walls thereof, a 15' 

